Kite



061:. 11, 1949. 5, c, oNs 2,484,316

KITE

Filed July 17, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR S. C. sxmons' ATTORNEYS Oct. 11, 1949. s. c. SIMONS 2,484,316

KITE

Filed July 17, 1 946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR S. C, Simbns ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KITE Samuel C. Sinions, Berkeley, Calif.

Application July 17, 1946, Serial No. 684,307

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to, and it is an object to provide, an improved kite of the type which are flown by children for amusement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a kite which takes to the air readily and quickly; gains altitude rapidly; flies well in a mild wind; and is steady in the air, as is desirable.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a kite which is formed in the main from a single sheet of material such as heavy paper, or a flexible plastic substance such as is now available; said sheet of material being folded, in novel manner, to 'form a kite having one or more depending, longitudinal keels and oppositely projecting wings, the span or tension of which is maintained by a transverse stay.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a kite, as above, which is designed to be flown with the flight control string connected to the keel arrangement at only one point longitudinally of the keel, whereby the kite may automatically assume a correct flying angle in the wind.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear from a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the kite in flight; the kite here having a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinal keels.

Fig, 2 is an enlarged cross section of the kite shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sheet of material, unfolded, from which the kite is formed.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but shows the kite as formed with a single keel.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section of the kite shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the kite in flight; although the longitudinal keel is retained in this type.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged cross section of the kite shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to Figs. 1-3, the kite comprises the following:

The kite is formed, in the main, of a single sheet I of relatively heavy material, such as paper, plastic, or the like; the initial configuration of such sheet being shown in Fig. 3. In its initial configuration the sheet I is generally in the form of a rhombus having leading edges 2 which diverge sharply outwardly in a rearward direction; the sheet I being symmetrical on opposite sides of its longitudinal center line and on said opposite sides being of substantially triangular configuration.

In the present embodiment of the kite the sheet I is folded at transversely spaced points to form a pair of longitudinal, transversely spaced apart, depending keels 3. The keels 3 are disposed adjacent but to opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the sheet I. The folds along the upper edges of the keels 3 are stitched, as shown, by the longitudinal rows of stitches 4, which maintain the keels 3 against unfolding; said keels having longitudinal stifiening strips 5 of cardboard of the like enclosed therein.

When the sheet I is folded to form the pair of transversely spaced longitudinal keels 3, as shown, the central portion of the sheet I projects forwardly as a nose 6 and rearwardly as a tail 1.

Laterally outwardly of the longitudinal keels 3, opposite sides of the sheet I form substantially triangular, outwardly projecting wings 8.

Inwardly opening pockets 9 are formed on the outer tip of each wing and a transverse stay I0 extends between and is engaged at opposite ends in the pockets 9, whereby to maintain the span of the kite. The stay I!) is somewhat flexible so that it may be bowed upwardly, imparting a corresponding transverse bow to the kite, by means of a tension cord ll connected between i the tips of the Wings 8.

The kite is flown by a flight control string l2 connected by a bail, indicated generally at 13, coupled to the depending keels 3 adjacent but short of the forward ends thereof. The bail [3 includes divergent legs M which extend to corresponding ones of the keels 3, and hook through holes IS in the latter. At its outer end the bail I3 includes an eye [6 for attachment of the flight control spring H.

To assure of proper balance of the kite in flight a streamer tail I l is provided, and such tail is connected by a string I8 to a bail l9 attached to the tail end of the kite in substantially the same manner as the bail [3.

The above described kite has very desirable flight characteristics, as it takes off quickly, climbs rapidly, and then flies steadily, automatically adjusting itself to air currents or conditions.

Additionally, the kite when in flight has much 3 the same appearance as a bird or aircraft, which adds to the pleasure of flying the kite.

To assure of long life of the kite it may be suitably reinforced, about its outer edges, by any means such as hemming, taping, or the like.

In the embodiment of the kite shown in Figs. 4 and 5, its structure is substantially identical to that of Figs. 1-3 inclusive, including outwardly projecting triangular wings 20, a transverse stay 2! engaged between Wing-tip pockets 22, and a transverse tension cord 23.

However, in this embodiment the double longitudinal keel arrangement is omitted, and here the single sheet of material from which the kite is formed is folded to provide only a single longitudinal keel 24, the folding of which is maintained by stitching 25. The flight control string 26 connects to the keel 24 adjacent but short of its forward end, While the tail string 21 of a streamer tail 23 connects to said keel 24 at its rear end.

This form of the kite has the desirable flight characteristics of the dual keel type of Fig. 1, but does not have exactly the same bird or airplane-like appearance, for the reason that the nose 5 and tail 1 are not present.

In the embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7 the kite is likewise formed from a single sheet 29 of flexible material, but here the configuration of such sheet is torpedo-like, but nevertheless folded to provide a central longitudinally extending, dependent keel 30 corresponding to the keel 24 of the embodiment of Fig. 4. This keel 30 is maintained against unfolding by a central longitudinal line of stitching 3|.

The span of this form of kite is maintained by bows 32 disposed in hems 33 which extend along the curved outer edges of the wings of the kite, said bows terminatin in engagement at opposite ends. The bows are maintained under tension by a transverse stay 34 engaged between the 0pposite bows 32. somewhat ahead. of the center point of the kite; said stay 34 being notched at its ends, as at 3,5,. for engagement with the bows32.

This form of the kite is flown by a flight control. string 36 attached to the keel 30 adjacent its forward end, while a streamer tail 3'! has its string 38 connected to the keel 30 at its rear end.

The, keel 24 of the embodiment of Fig. 4, and the keel 30 of the embodiment of Fig. 6, are stiffened by a stiffening strip 39 included therein the attachment of the flight control strings 26 and 36, respectively, being made to said keels, by. a loop passing therethrough, in the. manner indicated at 40 in Fig. 5..

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a kite 4 as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed. as newand useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A kite comprisin a. body which is formed from a single flexible sheet of material of initial quadrilateral form and in which the diagonals on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the sheet are symmetrical whereby each such side of the sheet is of triangular configuration, such sheet being folded at points transversely spaced on opposite sides of said center line of the sheet to form a pair of transversely spaced keels, the central portion of the sheet between the keels projecting forwardly beyond. the lead.- ing edges of the sheet, as a nose, and rearwardly behind the trailing edges of the sheet, as a tail, a flight control string attached to the keels adjacent but short of the forward ends thereofland a streamer connected to said keels adjacent said rearwardly projecting tail.

2. A kite comprising a body which is formed from a single flexible sheet of material of initial quadrilateral form and in which the diagonals on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the sheet are symmetrical whereby each such side of the sheet is of. triangular configuration, said sheet being folded longitudinally to form a,

keel projecting at right angles to the, sheet, the keel being of the same height from end to end thereof, a flight control string being connected to the keel adjacent but short of its front end and a streamer being connected to the keel adjacent its rear end.

SAMUEL C. SIMONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in'the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 713,381 Battersby Nov. 11, 1902, 984,295 Peuvot Feb. 14, 1911:

1,105,058 Bochau July 28, 1914 1,465,040 Holtvoigt Aug. 14, 1923 2,086,361 Kaszas July 6, 1937' FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 200,872 Germany Aug. 1, 1908 

